Electronics

USB devices are set to become much faster in the near future. The USB Promoter Group has now announced the USB4 Version 2.0 specification, which will double data transmission rates to a blistering 80 Gbps.

Old electronics are tricky to recycle, meaning they clog up landfills while locking valuable metals away. Now scientists have demonstrated printed circuits that can be degraded on demand, returning their materials to reusable forms.

Researchers at NIST have shown that a cloud of atoms can be used as a receiver to pick up video transmissions. The team demonstrated this “Atomic Television” by transmitting live video feed and even video games through the atoms to a monitor.

While it's definitely not a good idea to record a phone call without the other person's permission, there certainly are times when doing so with their permission could come in handy. The Magmo lets iPhone users do so in what looks like a quick and easy fashion.

Although it's always best to reuse and recycle, many small, simple, low-power electronic devices tend to be single-use. A new paper battery could make them more eco-friendly, as it's activated by water, and it biodegrades once discarded.

While high-end car audio systems do allow users to tweak the various sound frequencies to their liking, the average non-audiophile may get lost in the process. The YourSound system is designed to make things easier, by guiding users via sound samples.

Engineers at MIT have developed a modular computer chip with components that can communicate using flashes of light. This could allow for electronics that can easily be upgraded with new sensors or processors, rather than replacing the whole chip.

A team from the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley has demonstrated a new cooling method that sucks heat out of electronics so efficiently that it allows designers to run 7.4 times more power through a given volume than conventional heat sinks.

Heat is a major hurdle for electronic devices. Scientists have now found that nanowires made of a certain isotope of silicon can conduct heat 150 percent better than regular silicon, potentially leading to drastically cooler computer chips.

Researchers have now developed the fastest logic gates ever created, by zapping graphene and gold with laser pulses. The new logic gates are a million times faster than those in existing computers, demonstrating the viability of “lightwave electronics.”

A TU Delft team has demonstrated a one-way superconductor that gives zero resistance in one direction, but blocks current completely in the other. The discovery, long thought impossible, heralds a 400x leap in computing speed and huge energy savings.

Researchers in Japan have developed a new method for making 2-in wafers of diamond that could be used for quantum memory. The ultra-high purity of the diamond allows it to store a staggering amount of data – the equivalent of a billion Blu-Ray discs.

Engineers at MIT have developed an ultra-thin speaker that could be used to make entire surfaces produce sound. The unique design should be energy efficient and easy to produce at scale, the team says.

Last month, E Ink launched a new version of its color ePaper for digital signage called Gallery Plus. Now the company is back with a version destined for e-readers that boasts fast update times, high resolution and pen input support.

Scientists at Japan's Hiroshima University have demonstrated a greener path forward in quantum dot manufacturing, by using discarded rice husks to produce the world's first silicon quantum dot LED light.